Location: Across the street from the airport, Bangkok, Thailand

History: Well. It all started way back when man decided to get drunk, and then smoke a little of this and shoot a little of that. Since then mankind has seen hundreds lose themselves to the powers of addiction, specifically to various drugs and alcohols. Fifteen years ago, Swiss fellow named Rolf realized this problem and decided it was time for a change. After spending a couple of years working for a rehab program in Germany, Rolf packed his things and abandoned his native continent, finding a new home in Thailand. Thirteen years, one wedding, and numerous changed lives later, Rolf is still going strong as the leader of The Shelter.

Mission: The Shelter is a rehabilitation program based around Christian community and the well being of ones soul, not just body. They welcome lost men into their program, encouraging them to stay for 12 to 15 weeks. The men live in a shared bedroom, work together, eat together, and play together. No cell phones, handling of money, or independent trips away from The Shelter are allowed. They also participate in daily worship, church on Sundays, and “Family Night” on Friday evening. They also do not hold the men. This means that the men who come in are there completely by their own will, and may leave if they choose. The fact that anyone at all chooses to stay at The Shelter speaks heaps for the love that the organization sheds on these men, as most addicts require a more prison-like system to get through the more difficult urges to use.

Situation: They currently have 8 men involved in the program, along with one in their post-program living, and 4 staff members. They have enough housing for their current members, but also have a long waiting list, so they are hoping to expand their housing soon. They also need a larger car, preferably a van, for transport of the whole group. Although they have four staff, there is still a need for volunteers, as looking after 8 men who haven’t looked after themselves can get challenging at times. Finally, they are in need of regular supporters. Rolf is confident in God’s ability to provide, and says He always has, but Rolf also says that having people who pledged to monthly support would really help, as they never know where the money will come from until it happens.

Please pray for God’s provision in all of these areas, as well as His continual presence in the work that The Shelter does. There is no doubt that lives have been changed, and we want to thank God for that and pray that it continues to go strong in the years to come.

honorheindl:

i think one of the most heartbreaking sights on walking street [the most infamous red light district in pattaya] was this right here. an older man brought his daughter into the middle of it all and had her perform for the men..like some circus act.

sometimes i wonder why God hasn’t just given up on humanity already…we just keep corrupting beauty more and more, twisting morals and finding new and improved ways to hurt one another..

honorheindl:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/200579/child-porn-on-sale-despite-crackdown

as we strolled along beach street, we passed plenty of vendors selling pirated dvds. as jordan was looking through some stacks, we soon realized at least half of the selection was pornography if not more. what was even more disturbing was most of it was really young girls. apparently ‘lolita’ is the new rage..child pornography of girls under ten years old.

makes you kind of sick to your stomach doesn’t it? we read an article in the thai news about it. some reporters went undercover to investigate and realized that police know about it, they just don’t enforce any law against it. it’s all out in the open, for tourists and locals to see as they walk down the streets of thailand. i don’t get it..do those policemen not have daughters of their own? do they not realize that they are promoting one of the saddest things that could ever happen to a kid by ignoring the problem..

it’s not fair. i know i can’t expect life to be fair, but this?.. before they’ve even gone through puberty, they’re being treated as a sex object. they’re degraded to nothing more than a momentary pleasure. they are worth so much more than this…and they may never know it.

how do we combat such an evil? jordan and i did some research on how to go about such a thing, and from other reports, oftentimes the people who try to shut down child pornography end up getting in trouble for being involved with it. it makes no sense. it’s all so corrupt and so secretive. but we can’t just let it continue.

i know talking about it and raising awareness helps a little, but honestly—it’s not enough. telling people isn’t going to make it stop. we all know human trafficking is a huge problem. we’ve heard there are more slaves today than any other time in history. we see the commercials with the sad little kids in africa with flies in their eyes. we know it’s out there. so why aren’t we doing more.

these girls need someone to fight for them. they can’t do it themselves. i want to fight. they are worth everything.

A little fire escape action helped me get a picture of Pattaya, Thailand’s famous Walking Street, on of the most popular red light districts in the world.

As a major tourist destination in Thailand, you would be surprised how low Pattaya ranks on the “Family Friendly” charts. Although there are hotels as far as the eye can see in all directions except that of the beach, there is nothing about Pattaya that welcomes a typical vacation.

Shops start to open around 10 am, and you can see the tired look in each of the shop owner’s eyes. They worked a solid night that ended only a few hours before. You don’t have to be a detective to notice the countless Thai girls dressed like they were headed to a bar, except at this time of day they aren’t. They are headed home from whatever hotel or guest house their buyer took them too the night before. There is no pride in their eye, or a hope that better things are yet to come. If you take the time to shoot one a heart-felt smile you can’t help but notice the tangible shame in the girl’s faces.

Nobody comes to Pattaya just for the morning though. No. Visitors here are aiming for the pleasure exactly when they want it, and this leaves most of them snoozing late into the morning, only to be up for the next night. You see, Pattaya is a popular tourist destination, but not because of the lovely people or the beautiful beach. This town runs off of sex, and nobody there can argue. The malls and the jet skis and the hotels; none of that would exist were it not for the massive platter of sex available at night.

The moment it gets dark is the moment you need to make sure your kids are comfortably relaxed in the hotel room, because no matter where you are or how fancy of a hotel you bought, when you walk out the door there will be adult content.

Famous for it’s wide selection of “lady boys”, Pattaya brings in some of the most lost and confused men seeking the time of their life, and something about the business and flashing lights helps distract you from the spiritual discomfort all around.

But if you take the time to actually stop, and just look around and try to see what you see through God’s eyes, it’s like a camera panning out and shifting into focus. The entire city is based around sin, but God doesn’t view this place in a “fire and brimstone” fashion. God’s heart is broken when he looks down on Pattaya. They women and men selling themselves to get by, blind to the worth that they hold in the Father’s eyes. The men wandering the streets looking for the best fix for their sexual desires that night; little do they realize that every time they lock their hotel door behind the girl they brought home, they die a little inside. They don’t realize that their true destiny is being shrouded by their instant pleasure. They don’t realize that God’s amazing plan for their life is pushed behind a veil every single time they make another girl their purchase for the night.

I honestly don’t know how to bring this to a close, except to say that God truly does have greater things in store for this city.

Pray that the people of Pattaya would start to realize the truth that they have been hidden from by the flashing lights. Pray that the very few missionaries in the area would be blessed with supernatural endurance and hope for the people there. Pray that No Matter what new lies and trickery the devil introduces to that place, the light of God the Father would always have a way in, setting the people free from their addictions and their chains that hold them back.

honorheindl:

beautiful is an understatement when describing the Mons, an ancient people group from Burma.

we spent a few days in ratchaburi last week, getting to know noiy and bronwyn and had the opportunity to see all that God is doing in their lives as well as their community. they’re a two-person powerhouse running the entire ministry as the only full-time staff. very inspiring, God-fearing people.

one of their ministries is reaching out to a Mon slum community nearby. on fridays, noiy leads worship, tells bible stories and plays games with the children. this people group is outcasted by both sides of the border. in burma, there are no jobs for them, so they come to thailand and do the labor nobody else wants to do. it’s nearly impossible to become a resident of thailand if you aren’t born here, so oftentimes they can’t go to school past 6th grade and there is a lot of persecution from the thai government. noiy was telling us how a group of Mon teenagers were traveling into bangkok the other week and a police officer stopped them, took all of their money and sent them off.

it’s a really sad, all-too familiar story of discrimination and prejudice. noiy and bronwyn are doing what they can to combat this cycle by raising support and sponsorship of the kids. they have 18 kids that regularly attend the youth group on friday evenings. currently they only have five children supported. more than anything, they just want to see these kids prosper and reach their full potential by getting an education, so they don’t have to follow the same paths their parents had to take. if any of you would like to sponsor a child, it’s $30 a month. you can email them at ratchaburi@ywamthai.org

they’re truly bringing glory to God’s kingdom in that city—they’d love for you to be a part of it:).

honorheindl:

i wish i could give you what you really need..

Mission Statement: Enable our generation to see a problem and use their God given talents and abilities to bring change.